Hay-crane.



No. 673,486. Patented May 7, I901.

J. E. THOMPSON.

HAY CRANE.

(Application filed Nov. 12, 1 900.) 1

(lo Model.)

- Hdii zgh ses 55 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH E. THOMPSON, OF REESE, MICHIGAN.

HAY-ORAN E.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 673,486, dated May 7,1901.

Application filed November 12, 1900. Serial No. 36,281. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, JOSEPH E. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Reese, in the county of Tuscola and State of Michigan, haveinvented a new and useful Hay- Crane, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to cranes in general, and more particularly tothat class designed specifically for handling hay and similar materialto engage it and after lifting it from a wagon to deposit it in a mow,one object of the invention being to provide a simple and efficientconstruction which may be easily operated for the purpose designed andwhich may be quickly shifted from one side to the other of a building todeposit in either of two mows or may be shifted longitudinally of thebuilding to deposit at different points in the same mow.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from thefollowing description.

In the drawings forming a portion of this View showing the upper endportion of thecrane-arm and illustrating the arrangement of the tacklethereon for raising and lowering Fig. 3 is a sectional view I thehay-grapple. of the casting that forms the upper end portion of thecrane-arm. Fig. 4. is a side elevation of a form of grapple that may beused and which may be tripped to permit of discharge of the haytherefrom. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of a stepping-bracket.Fig. 6 is a detail sectional View of the lower end of the crane-arm withthe foot-plate thereof and the pivot-lug. 7

Referring now to the drawings, 5 represents the beam of a mow upon whichare fixed uprights 6 and 7, the upper ends of which are diverged andsupport the rafters 8 in the usual manner, the uprights being held inproper positions by the batter-posts 9 and 10.

The crane consists of an arm 15 of suitable length and which is adaptedto hang in an inclined position, its lower end being stepped upon abracket 16, of which one is secured to each of the uprights 6 and 7. Thebracket comprises a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, thelatter directly receiving the foot plate 53 at the lower end of thecrane-arm. This foot-plate has an upwardly-extending flange 54: at itsrear edge to prevent displace ment from the arm and has a dependingannular lug for pivotal engagement with a perforation 17 in the bracket.An eyebolt 54' is passed through the lower end of the'cranearm andthrough the lug 55 and is held in place by a nut. By grasping theeyebolt, which forms a handheld, the crane may b raised from thebracket. 1

Upon the upper end of the crane-arm is fitted a casting which includes ahorizontal portion 18 and a depending inclined portion 19, the latterhaving a socket 20,in which is fitted the upper end of the crane-arm.The casting is held. in place on the crane-arm by means of abolt 21,passed through alining perforations in the portion 19 and the crane-arm,said bolt having an eye at its upper end for engagement of a guy-line 22for swinging the crane pivotally. The casting is'further secured to thecrane-arm by means of the stem 23 of a screwhook 24, which stem is alsopassed through alining perforations in the casting and cranearm and isheld in place. by a nut engaged with its upper threaded end. Apulleyblock 24: is engaged with screw-hook 24:.

To'hold the crane-arm in an inclined position, an eye 25 is engaged withthe horizontal portion of the casting at the upper end of the crane-arm,and with this eye is engaged a hook 26 at one end of a rod 27, said rodhaving a hook 28 at its opposite end engaged with an eye 29 in a rafterof the building. Instead of using a single hook-rod a number of rods maybe hooked together to increase the inclination of the crane-arm, as willbe understood. This arrangement of the hooked rod permits of swinging ofthe crane-arm with its upper end in the arc of a circle.

In the horizontal portion 18 of the casting of the crane-arm there isformed an upwardlytapered perforation 30, and adjacent to thisperforation are pivoted the jaws 31 and 32 of a clutch, the'pivot'pin 33of the jaws being common to both and forming the means for holding thejaws to the portion 18 of the casting, this casting, as understood,forming the head of the crane-arm. The jaws have gripping portions 35and 36 in the form of slight concavities,which when the jaws are inclosed position aline with the perforation in the head of the crane. Apin 37 in the head on the opposite side of the perforation 30 from thepivotpin 33 limits pivotal movement of the jaws in one direction andprevents disalinement of the gripping portions of I the jaws from theperforation 30 when the jaws are in closed position.

Between the rear portions or handles of the jaws is disposed a helicalspring 38,which acts to hold the gripping portions of the jaws yieldablyin closed position, and to open the jaws against the tendency of thisspring tongs 38 are provided, the gripping portions thereof beingpivoted to the handles of the clutch, while the opposite ends have abifurcated line 39 connected therewith, said line running through ablock 40 upon the suspending-rod 27, the free end of this line dependingso as to. be readily grasped by the operator to actuate the clutch toseparate its jaws;

The lifting-tackle of the crane comprises the pulley 24', above referredto, and a second pulley 41, which latter has a frame 42 extending aboveandbelow the pulley-wheel, the upper portion thereof carryinga headedrod 43, which is adapted to be passed'upwa'rdly through theperforation-3O to engage and separate the clutch-jaws and to risethereabove'to permit the jaws to close upon the stem below the head, itbeing understood that said head is upwardly tapered to permit it to havethis action.

To the lower portion of the frame 42 isconnected a trip-grapple of anydesired style and which in the present instance includes two arms, onearm 44 being integral, while the other arm includes two members 45 and46, pivotally connected, the arm member 45 extending above the member 46and the'former member havinga latch 47pivoted thereto and adapted forengagement with the upper end of the member 46 to hold said memberagainst pivotal outward movement at its lower'end. Above its pivotalconnection with the member 45 the member 46 is pivoted to a cross bar48, pivoted also to the arm 44. A tripcord or trip-line 49'is attachedto the latch and when drawn moves the latch to release the member '46 torelease and drop the load, it being understood that the grapple has itsarms engaged with the load to be raised.

A lifting-line 50is attached at oneend to the head of the crane-arm andis passed around the under sideof the pulley 41,then upwardly and overthe pulley 24, andthen down and through a pulley 51, engaged with a hook52 on the supporting-bracket for the crane. the free end of this line isdrawn downwardly the pulley 41 is of course drawn upwardly,

and the headed pin of its frame isguided to the perforation 30 by meansof an arm 53 upon said frame and having a collar 54 at its outer endwhich encircles the lifting-line at a point between the pulley 41 andits attachment to the head of the crane-arm.

In operation the lifting-line is slacked and the grapple is lowered andis engaged with a load to be lifted to the mow. The line is then drawnand the load raised, the guy line 22 being manipulated to swing thecrane into a side mow to deposit its load, after which the trip-line ofthe grapple is operated to drop the load. This trip-line is then drawnupon to swing the crane outwardly, and when it is in proper position theclutch trip-line is operated to'open the clutch to permit the grapple tobe drawn down for another load. When it is desired to shift the crane toanother position,its pivotpin i's'withdrawn from its lower end and fromthe stepping-bracket, and the suspending-rod isd'isengaged from the eyein the rafter, and the entire apparatus" is moved to rest the butt ofthe arm upon a second bracket, with which it is pivotally connected bythe pin. The suspendiug rod is then engaged with acorrespending eye.Vith this shifta'ble feature of the construction the hay may beadvantageously deposited at different points of the length of a mow'orin either mow, as will be understood.

It will be understood, further, thatin practice various modifications ofthe specific'construction shown may be made and that any suitablematerials and proportionsmay be used for the various parts'withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

It will of coursebeunderstood that before shifting the crane-arm fromone bracket to anotherthe severalblocks may bedisengaged therefrom,as'also the tackle, to lighten the load.

What is claimed is p 1. In a crane, the combination with a steppingbracket' ha'ving'a perforation therein, of an arm, a foot-plate upon-thelowerend of the'arm' disposed upon the bracket and having a'lug'rotatably engagedwith the perforation', said arm and lug having aliningperforations, an eyebolt engaged with the alining perforationsandremovable therefrom't'o' permit of shifting of the arm, andsuspendingmeans for the head'of the arm.

2. A crane comprising an arm pivotally mounted at its base, a head forthearm, a clutch mechanism for the head, a pulley carried by the head,a'lifting-pulley, a line connected with the head and engaged with thepulleys, a headed stem upon the lifting-pulley for engagementwith' theclutch mechanism to holdthe lifting' pulley in raised position, and aguide movable with the liftingpulley and engaged with the lin'e betweensaid pulley and the head to 'guidethe headed stem to the clutchmechanism.

3. A crane comprising a stepping-bracket having a perforation thereinand provided with a hook, an arm, a pivot-pin removably engaged with thearm and with the perforation of the bracket a suspending devicepivotally connected with the head of the arm, a pulley carried by saidhead, a lifting-pulley, a clutch mechanism for engagement by thelifting-pulley, a lifting-line attached to the head and engaged with thelifting-pulley and the pulley on the head, a second pulley removablyconnected with the hook of the stepping bracket and with which thelifting-line is engaged, and a grapple carried by the lifting-pulley,said arm and pulleybeing adapted for removal for connection with asecond bracket.

4. The combination with a series of stepportion and a hookedsuspending-rod connected with its head, said arm being adapted forengagement of its pin and its rod with the bearings of the brackets andtheir corresponding hooks interchangeably to vary the position of thecrane-arm.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH E. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

A. 0. SMITH, WM. L. REID.

